#BookReview of #TheDevilsAdvocate by @SteveCavanagh_ | @orion_crime

He’s won every trial
Because he’s behind EVERY murder
– The Devil’s Advocate

[ About the Book ]

A DEADLY PROSECUTOR
They call him the King of Death Row. Randal Korn has sent more men to their deaths than any district attorney in the history of the United States.

A TWISTED RITUALISTIC KILLING
When a young woman, Skylar Edwards, is found murdered in Buckstown, Alabama, a corrupt sheriff arrests the last person to see her alive, Andy Dubois. It doesn’t seem to matter to anyone that Andy is innocent.

A SMALL TOWN BOILING WITH RAGE
Everyone in Buckstown believes Andy is guilty. He has no hope of a fair trial. And the local defense attorney assigned to represent him has disappeared.

A FORMER CON-ARTIST
Hot shot New York lawyer Eddie Flynn travels south to fight fire with fire. He plans to destroy the prosecutors case, find the real killer and save Andy from the electric chair.

But the murders are just beginning.

Is Eddie Flynn next?

[ My Review ]

The Devil’s Advocate by Steve Cavanagh published August 5th with Orion Books and is described as ‘an electric new thriller’ . Picking up a Steve Cavanagh book always comes with the knowledge that you are in safe hands, with Brian McGilloway stating that Steve Cavanagh is ‘the undisputed king of the courtroom drama.’ Steve Cavanagh is an award-winning and bestselling author whose books command the full attention of all readers. The Devil’s Advocate is no different, captivating the reader from the opening pages.

Eddie Flynn is about to embark on one of the most challenging cases of his career when he is sent to Buckstown in Alabama. The life of a young man, Andy Dubois, is on a precarious ledge having been accused of a murder he swears he didn’t commit. Death row awaits him, with the local DA, Randal Korn, setting his sights firmly on a guilty charge. Buckstown is an insular town with everyone aligning their beliefs with Randal Horn, the man who they believe has kept their towns safe from crime, the man with the highest number of death penalty convictions under his belt in the whole of the US.

‘Shooting or stabbing someone wasn’t the same for Korn. Too animalistic. Korn killed using the power of his office, and his mind, and his skill. And that gave him more pleasure than he could ever have imagined’

Andy Dubois is being accused of murdering Skylar Edwards, a college student who he worked with in a local bar. Andy Dubois comes from an under-privileged background, a studious young man with a future ahead of him. But Andy is black and certain members of the local community would see Andy die rather than spend time catching the real killer who walks among them. With members of the local police force corrupted, the odds are well stacked against Andy Dubois. Evidence is rigged, facts are misconstrued. Why is Andy Dubois being so readily framed? What is the real reason behind a whole town standing together against this young man?

Eddie Flynn and his colleague Harry arrive into town and are immediately shunned by the local community. All want to see Andy Dubois sent to the chair and are appalled that this hot-shot New York city lawyer has been sent in to save Andy. Eddie knows that something is rotten in this town, hitting a brick wall each way he turns. But Eddie Flynn was never one to fight the fight in an orthodox fashion so, with his team, including Kate and Bloch, in place, he starts to gather the facts and goes to work.

Meanwhile Eddie’s predecessor, the local defense attorney, has disappeared and Eddie has to dig deep to keep himself and his team safe from the constant threat of menace that lingers everywhere.

The Devil’s Advocate is a real belter of a read, with characters that jump out from the pages and into the mind of the reader. You can smell the fear and the malevolence that prevails as the community hides behind a mask of unease and suspicion. Something is very rotten in this town. Something evil is lurking in the shadows. The sense of foreboding is ever-present throughout the book. Steve Cavanagh writes superb courtroom scenes with fascinating details. His own experience and background in the legal world brings a truly authentic touch creating a very believable and realistic experience for the reader.

The Devil’s Advocate delves into many societal and political themes with strong characterisation throughout. A very intense and tense read, The Devil’s Advocate is an addictive, complex and deft read from a master writer. Breath-taking stuff!!

[ Bio ]

Steve Cavanagh was born and raised in Belfast before leaving for Dublin at the age of eighteen to study Law. He practiced civil rights law and was involved in several high-profile cases; in 2010 he represented a factory worker who suffered racial abuse in the workplace and won the largest award of damages for race discrimination in Northern Ireland legal history.

He holds a certificate in Advanced Advocacy and lectures on various legal subjects (but really he just likes to tell jokes).

His novel The Liar won the CWA Gold Dagger award while his follow-up novel Thirteen won the Theakston Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year Award in 2019. Twisted and Fifty Fifty both featured on the  Sunday Times Top 10 Bestseller lists. Steve is married with two young children.

Twitter ~ @SteveCavanagh_